For close to a decade we’ve been telling you about the saga of Saint Boniface Church in Noble Square. Completed in 1904, shuttered in 1990, since then it’s watched both its convent and school fall to the wrecking ball. Over the years, there has been lots of talk about turning the building into something more than it currently is, and in the last few years that notion...

It was the deal that many said couldn’t be done: Wrestle Chicago’s massive and long-abandoned old post office building away from a British developer and turn it over to someone who would put it to good use. There were predictions it would be tied up in court for decades, or at least as long as the building has been out of service. But then late last night a glimmer of...

For close to a decade we’ve been telling you about the saga of Saint Boniface Church in Noble Square. Completed in 1904, shuttered in 1990, since then it’s watched both its convent and school fall to the wrecking ball. Over the years, there has been lots of talk about turning the building into something more than it currently is, and in the last few years that notion gained steam with Stas Development’s plan to turn...

It was the deal that many said couldn’t be done: Wrestle Chicago’s massive and long-abandoned old post office building away from a British developer and turn it over to someone who would put it to good use. There were predictions it would be tied up in court for decades, or at least as long as the building has been out of service. But then late last night a glimmer of hope shone through the gap where the concrete...

For the second time in a week, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is taking dramatic steps that will ultimately reshape the Chicago skyline. A few days ago he introduced a plan to extend the downtown high-density skyscraper district to the north and west as part of a scheme to make more money available in the rest of the city’s neighborhoods. Now he’s trying to seize control of the city’s largest derelict building in order...

With October upon us, around the country countless carneys are busy setting up seasonal haunted houses. And one of the most popular themes is the abandoned hospital. But Chicago doesn’t need an army of carneys to erect a house of horrors, because the city has its own massive, scary-looking abandoned hospital just a stone’s throw from downtown. But after years of absorbing rain and pigeon droppings, the first baby steps...

After months of angst, anger, and bewilderment there is finally some real forward movement in the redevelopment of the former Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park. In a marathon session at City Hall yesterday, the Chicago Plan Commission heard from dozens of neighbors weighing in on the project that would turn the empty hospital into a $350 million residential, commercial, and retail complex, designed by Joe Auntonovitch. You...

A few days ago we ran an article about a trio of buildings on State Street, owned by the federal government, that were recently renovated thanks to $25 million in stimulus spending. That led to a handful of e-mails from people inquiring about some of the other federally-owned buildings on State Street that are in a tragic state of repair. Most notable is 202 South State Street. Originally built as the Buck & Rayner Building, it...

You don’t have to walk very far in most Chicago neighborhoods before you come across a neighborhood church. And you don’t have to walk much farther to come across an abandoned, or former church. From Saint Dominick’s near Cabrini Green to the dozens of storefront and other Baptist churches on the city’s South Side, there are hundreds of churches in Chicago that have been either abandoned or repurposed...

The resurfacing project that’s going to eventually put a nice, smooth layer of asphalt on Madison Street from Michigan Avenue to Kingdom Come has uncovered a nice little history lesson. At a number of points along the street, the asphalt scraping machine that removed the previous layers of road has unveiled the street’s historic character: cobblestones and trolley tracks. These patches are most easily found in the West...

While a lot has been written about the continuing controversy surrounding the new Children’s Hospital in Streeterville, the people at the Chicago Journal haven’t forgotten about the old place. The Journal reports that people living nearby are worried about what will happen when the thriving hospital at the heart of their neighborhood becomes an abandoned hospital in the heart of their neighborhood. Naturally, there is talk...